Joe Ryan was a late scratch from the Minnesota Twins‘ Spring Training game on Saturday, which sent the fan base into an existential panic. Pablo López is already out for the year due to Tommy John surgery. If the rebuilding Twins lose both their aces to injury, keeping them off the mound and out of trade rumors, it would qualify as an abject disaster.
Thankfully, Ryan’s MRI on Sunday revealed only inflammation, with no serious short- or long-term concerns. The Twins will play it safe with Ryan this spring, no doubt, but he shouldn’t miss any consequential time. Still: It’s enough of a scare to force Minnesota to rethink its current course, and to try and get while the getting is still good.
Why would the Twins trade Joe Ryan?
Ryan put up a 3.42 ERA across 31 appearances (30 starts) in 2025. He made his first All-Star appearance, pitching a career-high 171 innings and averaging 10.2 K/9. With five seasons of rock-solid production under his belt, and López done for the season, Ryan is arguably the most important player on Minnesota’s roster right now. So why on earth would the Twins trade him?
It’s simple. The Twins sold the farm at the 2025 trade deadline, embarking on a deliberate rebuild — one that will require several years of patience. Ryan is only under contract through 2027 and he almost certainly won’t re-sign in Minnesota. Trading him now, with two full years of control, is how the Twins can maximize Ryan’s return value. Such a move would obviously frustrate fans and pundits alike, but Minnesota cares less about winning in the immediate future and more about building a sustainable foundation for the next decade-plus. To their credit, the Twins’ farm system ranks among the very best in MLB.
So, the Twins take the short-term loss for potential long-term gains. This would leave the staff in a dire spot, to be sure, but the Twins are not planning to compete for the World Series in 2026 regardless. There’s no point in waiting for Ryan’s value to decline if it won’t lead to success on the field.
Waiting only introduces more risk, and reduces Ryan’s value as it brings him closer to free agency. Here are a few potential trade avenues the team needs to consider immediately.
Twins trade Joe Ryan to Orioles
Baltimore has limited pitching depth to send out, but more than enough firepower on the positional side to pique Minnesota’s interest.
Jeremiah Jackson hit in limited MLB exposure last season (.775 OPS and 117 OPS+) and he can defend several positions (with club control through 2031). Boston Bateman is a 20-year-old lefty who stands 6-foot-8, with a vicious slider and the sort of physical gifts that are hard to ignore in a pitching prospect. Wehiwa Aloy, 22, hit well in Single-A last season and provides substantial power at shortstop, a unique combo with long-term appeal.
Baltimore also has a surplus of MLB-level dudes who don’t really fit their current depth chart (Heston Kjerstad, Coby Mayo, Ryan Mountcastle), should Minnesota prefer a more seasoned package of contributors.
As for the O’s … come on. No contender needs an ace more, and Ryan would immediately profile as their No. 1 starter with a chance to log critical starts in October.
Twins trade Joe Ryan to Phillies
The Phillies’ rotation has a temporary weak spot with Zack Wheeler still rehabbing from shoulder surgery. It sounds like Wheeler could return sooner than later, but the Phillies don’t necessarily want to rely on Taijuan Walker — and Andrew Painter, despite massive hype, still has to prove he’s ready for the MLB spotlight at 22 years old.
This move allows Philly to extend Painter’s window. It sort of mirrors their trade for Jesús Luzardo a year ago, when Ranger Suárez was about to hit free agency and Painter was not yet up to speed. Now, Luzardo enters his final year under contract with an uncertain future. Dave Dombrowski loves to invest in his pitching staff. Add Ryan to the mix next to Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola, Luzardo and (eventually) Wheeler, and Philadelphia’s staff looks damn near impenetrable.
Minnesota receives 2025 second-round pick Cade Obermueller, a lefty with a low arm slot and a slider he can spin into oblivion who could level up rather quickly. Aroon Escobar is a talented hitter at second base who already received a Spring Training invite at 21. Keaton Anthony, while not the sexiest prospect in the world, exhibits an extremely refined hit tool and is MLB-ready, with a chance to take over for Josh Bell at first base this season or next.
Twins trade Joe Ryan to Yankees
The Yankees are still waiting on Gerrit Cole (and Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt). Beyond Max Fried, there isn’t a ton of proven, dependable firepower in the New York rotation right now. Ryan gives them another ace, who alongside Fried and Cole could supplement the AL’s most potent lineup with a dangerous three-headed monster come October.
Minnesota takes a huge swing here on 22-year-old Jasson Domínguez, a former top prospect who has traded the “phenom” label for that of “potential bust.” He just does not have a place in the Yankees’ crowded outfield right now, but the youth and tools remain compelling. Domínguez is a switch-hitter with natural power and tons of speed. If he can start making better reads in the outfield and translating his power against left-handed pitching, the upside is vast.
Luis Gil was AL Rookie of the Year in 2024. His follow-up campaign was interrupted by injuries and largely uninspiring, but the 27-year-old has proven his mettle at the top level and offers Minnesota an immediate replacement in the rotation. Chase Hampton, 24, spent the last couple years recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 2023, his first season in the Yankees pipeline, he struck out 145 in 106.2 innings across High-A and Double-A. His fastball and slider are plus pitches and there’s real breakout potential now that he’s healthy.
Twins trade Joe Ryan to Braves
Atlanta has once again succumb to an unfortunate string of injuries, with both Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep expected to miss significant time out of the gate. With Spencer Strider looking like a shell of himself in 2025, it’s unclear who the Braves can actually trust on the mound this season beyond 36-year-old Chris Sale.
Ryan can give the Braves much-needed stability and a clear-cut No. 2 behind Sale come October. Alex Anthopoulos is historically quite reluctant to pay pitchers max value in free agency, so this probably is not a long-term union with Ryan. Even if it’s just two years of his prime, however, the 29-year-old can substantially improve the team’s World Series odds — which tend to sit higher than most folks realize, if the roster can just stay semi-healthy.
Minnesota really embraces the long view with this trade, acquiring a 20-year-old in Didier Fuentes and two 19-year-olds in Tate Southisene and Briggs McKenzie. All are top-10 prospects in the Braves system, though, and Fuentes even made his debut in the Majors this past season (albeit without much success). Southisene is a smart, quick shortstop made of the right stuff. McKenzie has command issues, but he’s also a teenager with mean offspeed offerings, including a loopy curveball that gets folks swinging at dirt.
Twins trade Joe Ryan to Astros
The Astros need more concrete answers behind Hunter Brown in the rotation, and Ryan can oblige. There’s also a bit of pressure on Houston to realize its infield surplus, which has left two-time All-Star Isaac Paredes without a defined role. This trade kills two birds with one stone. The Twins are probably less interested in Paredes as a win-now piece, but he could net the Astros some quality assets from a third team, which can be rerouted to Minnesota.
Hunter Barco is a talented lefty knocking on the MLB door in Pittsburgh (and a potential day-one MLB starter in Minnesota). Thomas Harrington made his debut in the Majors late last season, like Barco. He was less than stellar in Triple-A last season, but Harrington has an impressive track record of hammering the strike zone with a few plus pitches at his command.
In addition to shipping out Paredes, the Astros send 23-year-old righty Ethan Pecko to Minnesota. The Twins essentially acquire three Minor League pitchers, all with a chance to force their way into the rotation within a few years. Pecko throws from a deceptive arm slot and has five pitches in his bag. If even two of these guys hit as rotation regulars down the line, Minnesota will be content with the outcome.
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